Memorial to women's rights movement to be built on municipal land

Ritstjórn
Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir and Björn Ágúst Sigurjónsson, chair of the Reykjavík labor movement representative council, along with representatives of the Red Stocking Movement and organizers of Women's Strike 2025
A group of people at the signing ceremony in City Hall

Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir and Björn Ágúst Sigurjónsson, chair of the Reykjavík labor movement representative council, signed a declaration of intent today to build a memorial on municipal land that honors the history and contributions of the Red Stocking Movement in the fight for equality, social justice and improved living standards in Iceland.

The memorial is a reproduction of Venus or Sáttin, which was created by Jón Benediktsson for Messíana Tómasdóttir's set design for the 1970 play Lýsisstrata, directed by Brynja Benediktsdóttir. The statue was borrowed on May 1, 1970, when women in red stockings decided to join the labor movement's protest march in Reykjavík — an event that marked the beginning of the Red Stocking Movement.

The declaration of intent states that the memorial will be placed in a prominent, accessible and meaningful location in the city in consultation with the donor of the work. The project will support Reykjavík's cultural identity as a city of equality and be part of a broader effort to make women's contributions visible in public spaces.

The groups will collaborate on the project's planning, financing, and construction, ensuring the memorial is built with respect for the legacy of the women's rights struggle and a vision for a future of justice and equality in society.

Group of women on the bridge at City Hall

Women's Year 2025 celebrates the milestone of 50 years since women first went on strike in Iceland to demonstrate the importance of women's contributions to society and the economy. On that historic day, 90% of women went on strike, and since then Icelandic society has made significant strides toward greater equality. However, the struggle is far from over, and a new Women's Strike has been called for tomorrow. The formal program begins at Sóleyjargata in Reykjavík at 1:30pm; from there, participants will follow a route tracing the history of the women's rights movement to Arnarhóll for a program of speeches and music.

Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir and seven representatives of the Women's Strike organizers raised eight protest flags at the bridge by city hall today.